Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo Thursday to prepare the first summit of their leaders in four years, called to forge a strong Arab rank behind the Palestinians.

The Palestinians' representative said in remarks published Thursday that Yasser Arafat will call for reviving an Arab League economic boycott of Israel as well as freezing diplomatic ties until peace is concluded.

The emergency Arab summit, the first since 1996 when Arabs backed the peace process with Israel, was called on October 6 in response to escalating clashes between Palestinian stone throwers and Israeli troops.

Of the 22 members of the Arab League, the foreign ministers of all countries except Libya were present Thursday and 15 heads of state were expected to attend the summit on Saturday.

Faruq Qaddumi, political director of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Al-Ahram newspaper that the Palestinians would make seven demands at the summit including a call for international troops to enter the occupied Palestinian territories as well as sanctions against the Jewish state.

Qaddumi said his demands aimed at "preventing the outbreak of a new war in the region" -- CAIRO (AFP)